Hi. We are a design/style LA based company specializing in mixing eclectic styles on moderate budgets. Also we have a strange amount of fun blogging about all our design and style adventures. Right now I’m happy to say that I’m Target’s home spokesperson, bringing accessible/stylish design to the masses.

Rustic Spanish California Home

Spanish California Home: Kitchen + Get The Look

Before I got involved with this kitchen, it was about to get RHONJ’d. In case you don’t speak ‘Bravo’, that means ‘Real housewives of New Jersey”d where faux Tuscan shiny wood and tumbled tile reign suprem-o. They had just installed the cabinets and in FACT it was even worse than this. I didn’t take photos of the kitchen when the top cabinets were installed, too but trust me that it felt dark, small and dated. As you know (back story here) we were on a massive time and budget crunch so we couldn’t start all over and get new cabinets (especially since they were brand new – chosen by the contractor that was flipping it). This kitchen is in a 1916 Spanish Style home and it needed some old world charm with some modern amenities/technology.

We only had a few days to be able to pick out the finishes – the tile, flooring, etc. So we went to the valley, where all the tile places are, and found some that we both really liked that weren’t out of control expensive. I spoke about the flooring in the dining nook post, but they really weren’t expensive and if you have an old world style house these cement tiles are kinda perfect (just make sure you seal them properly which will add a bit of a sheen but its worth it).

Shana wanted open shelving on top for a few reasons: a. it looks good, b. she had lots of pretty dishes to show off and c. the kitchen was smallish and we didn’t want to open it up and make it open concept because based on the layout of the house it wouldn’t have really worked and we would have lost a lot of the beautiful architecture. I was ALL FOR IT. Open shelving is a bit controversial because yes, you have to keep it neat and nice in order for your kitchen not to look like total chaos daily. She knew the risks and she accepted them. (I was at the house yesterday for a playdate with our kids and I’m happy to report that they still look really pretty).

We chose this black and white handmade tile that was really going to be the focal point, the big splurge. The floating shelves were made just from simple wood and then lacquered the same wall color (BM Swiss Coffee). The brackets were found on overstock I believe for $6 each.Not bad. Same with the farm sink – I think it was around $600 on either Overstock or Wayfair. I’m always surprised at how expensive farm sinks are but this one was not a bad price for it.

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One of the things we knew we were going to do was paint the cabinets a dark tealy-blue. We tested out some greens (above in the samples) but they were too bright and it needed to recede a little more than that. You guys are going to KILL me though because we made the decision verbally and there is no record to show what color this is. I should hire a detective to comb through all my emails and paperwork to see if they can find it because I’ve spent what feels like hours looking – it was just 2 years ago, before we moved, I was pregnant, the contractor was constantly rushing us for decisions, so I a lot went undocumented. I’m so sorry.

But what I’m not sorry about is how this kitchen turned out. It’s a modern Spanish kitchen, with an edge, that is so fun to walk into every single time:

I love this color palette – the blues, warm grays, black white and then some color to make it feel more collected and welcoming. A lot of people think that old world color palettes have to be all warm tones – taupes, creams, beiges, browns, burgandies, etc, but as long as the materials ‘feel’ old world the color palette can feel more updated and fresh. And I don’t even mind the detailing on the cabinets. I might not have been our first choice but once painted out, it’s totally works, especially with the addition of the black hardware (which I think was just from Home Depot – it was a great place to not spend too much money).

Here is how Country Living shot/styled it. They replaced all the Heath Ceramics with Vintage Ironstone on the shelves, which I do like, but who doesn’t love Heath Ceramics? Nobody. The color of the tiles are also a bit warmer, the outlets magically disappeared and the rug was replaced with that pretty blue/white kilim (which I believe is from Loloi).

I really love this kitchen, every time I walk in it I feel so happy with how it turned out. So just in case you all want to recreate this look – here is a ‘get the look’ and a ‘look for less’/

That floor tile makes me swoon every time I see it. I’m so sad that it wouldn’t look right in my house; it is stunning. I also really dig that backsplash tile. It’s amazing. The whole kitchen looks terrific, and I’m stunningly jealous of people who are neat enough to have open shelving.

Hell yes! I think kitchens are a real strong point of yours Emily, you really have a gift for adding personality to a room with a lot of demands and constraints, just gorgeous. The post where you expressed opposition to stainless steel and granite seriously made me stand up and cheer. So many people buy into the “its totally upscale so it must be beautiful!” load of bull and miss a lot of great design opportunities. I love, love, love what you have done here – kitchens arent all appliances and counters – they can be floors, rugs and open shelves with incredible tiles! So inspiring, thanks!

I really really love this….trying to figure out if I could pull this off in my cookie cutter 1970’s home. I usually dislike wood cabinets but I actually think the wood could have worked well. The navy was a fabulous choice though!

This is so fabulous! That tile is popping up everywhere, and I think the next place I want to see it is in my own home. I like your styling better than Country Living’s, although it’s always fun to see the different ways accessories can totally change a space.

The only reason I’m not balling my eyes out right now about the NOT KNOWING THE COLOR OF THOSE CABINETS is because I just painted my kitchen cabinets last year (BLACK). I wasn’t brave enough for a color…but I totally would’ve tried this color– it’s just soooo gorgeous. I’m totally pinning this kitchen because I’m planning on the butcher block counters as well… AMAZING JOB… and nice touch with the black handles, never would’ve thought of that.

Now I’m actually really curious to see your black kitchen!
I love black houses and rooms with black walls, or cabinets like yours, so when I finally buy my own house, I’ll have to be really careful haha

I got it May 2014. It’s def the PB Rosario or an exact replica! The one on their website now looks like more rustic autumnal colors so maybe they changed the colors. Mine is the reddish pink, blues and tans, as shown here on the blog. It’s beautiful, it was the starting point for my living room.

Quick question. How much do you typically spend on professional painters for cabinets? I’m having such a rough time finding estimates, and want a ball-park range before I call in folks for an estimate and end up giving myself a heart attack and wasting their time..

Not that the cabinet color isn’t beautiful (it is), but as I was scrolling through this post I was thinking, “wow, amazing how those cabinets can go from dark Tuscan to warm Spanish by removing the uppers and mixing in the Spanish tile.” Am I alone in thinking that you could have gotten away with leaving the original cabinet color?

I love this look and I’m really happy hand painted tile backsplashes are being embraced, it’s a refreshing change from subway tile (which I also love). One question on flatweave rugs on tile – any recommendations or sources for a good rug pad?

Part of me thinks that the contractor thinks you are a pain for changing all their decisions an then magically thinks you are the BEST thing to happen to that house! The clients are definitely lucky to have you challenging and changing things that doesn’t fit their vision of THEIR home! I am really interested in hearing what the contractors think of the final design of the home?

I can’t tell you how many newer homes I have walked through and thought WHYYYYYYYYY!

I agree. I’ve been looking at properties new and old in Los Angeles for the past two years and ask myself the same WHY!! more often than not. I think this kitchen demonstrates that good design can happen within budget and on time when you have a talented designer making the decisions. I’m also curious to hear what the contractor thought about the end result, the whole house looks incredible and there’s no way they can deny that. Maybe we’ll see a new renovation trend that embraces architecture, location, time period, authenticity and individuality, rather than defaulting to a dated idea of what luxury looks like.

I think I want to make a baby with this kitchen! I lovelovelove the cabinet color and the open shelving. Too bad I am not nearly tidy enough to have the shelves in my kitchen–they would just look like a thrift store exploded on them everyday lol.

And the floor tile! Do you think it could be laid closer together with smaller grout lines? We’re thinking of tiling our first floor, and I love these tiles!

This is so beautiful. I’m so glad your client is willing to let you share their home — I’m really enjoying it, and it’s wonderful to see something other than MCM. I love everything you post, but this home is much closer to my personal style, and it’s great to see that here.

I love this – so warm and inviting. But the cabinet color looks exactly like my lower kitchen cupboards, which are Farrow and Ball DownPipe. Maybe it’s just my computer screen, but they don’t seem to have that greeny-undertone that Hague Blue (one of my favorite colors) has.

Every room you reveal on this house is just better than the last. I LOVE THIS. My style preference for kitchens has been swinging from modern to more updated traditional/countryish, so this kitchen is just a dream to me! I wish I could do this with my rental kitchen! Lovely work, Emily!

I love how you point out what’s been Photoshopped. It’s one of those visual distractions that you don’t really notice in pictures typically until it’s pointed out. It’s a head slap of no wonder why REAL LIFE feels cluttered or just not as “clean” as that design catalog…It’s nice to see the real deal and the photo shoot images and know when things got lightened, changed or removed.

I do have a question about those concrete tiles. I didn’t know they existed until you first showcased them in the dining nook but now I am intrigued. Do they require such a deep grout groove or is that an aesthetic thing that can be changed?

I love open shelving as much as the next person, but have always felt like it’s completely irresponsible in quake-prone California. I don’t have fancy locking mechanisms on my cabinets or anything, but during the earthquake up here in Napa last week, those doors kept most of my dishes safe. (Also, I hadn’t done dishes the night before, so a good portion were still in the sink or dishwasher!). Do you have any tips/tricks for stabilizing items on open shelving, or just cross your fingers and hope for the best?

Oh Emily, sometimes i just want to reach through my computer and give you a giant hug for making the world a prettier place. Especially with posts like this, that rescue that RHONJ style from coming to fruition. Mad love from Toronto, girl.

Wow, I must say this is up there on one of your best posts… The kitchen came out so great and seems reachable for many readers.
Personally I like how you have it styled much better, the blue rug Country Living put in is far to monochromatic with the space.
Am I seeing the photo correctly… Did the contractor not account for the oven and need to remove cabinets in order to put one in?

This is exactly my kitchen cabinets, with the beige on beige on beige tile etc included. And this is exactly the kind of post I wanted to see: how to turn bad cabinets/kitchen around on a budget! So awesome!

Emily – I adore this kitchen. My style is usually more in keeping with your MCM designs, but I live in a little 1929 spanish bungalow in LA and some of your design ideas, like the patterned backsplash tile and cabinet color, would really tie in with the feel out our house.

Can you tell me where you got the backsplash tile? We are about to remodel and I would love to go see some options like that.

I love this! One question though: were the pot lights and/or any other lighting photoshop-ed out of the pics? I’m curious to know what kind of fixture you would’ve used in a Modern/Spanish/Traditional mash-up.

LOVE what you did with this kitchen (Country Living’s styling not so much), but I’m confused about one thing. Some of the photos show that sexy floor tile in the dining nook and half show what looks like a hardwood floor.

Did CL change the tile to hardwood, or was their styling of the kitchen shot BEFORE the dining nook was done?

Love this kitchen and the thorough post from start to finish and with the changes to show the reshoot – so complete! We put concrete tile in our master bath and guest bath and find them to be challenging because of staining and restrictions on types of cleansers to use on them. What sealants/cleansers does your client use or do you recommend? Maybe we can have them resealed with something more durable. Thanks

Two questions in case you ever have a moment… is there a “rule” about rugs in kitchens? How they fit/scale/size, their “use”, etc? And then do farmhouse sinks always have to sit up that high (so there’s a lip between the counters and the sink)?

I prefer your styling of the kitchen over the magazine’s (duh,get real, and stop photoshopping). The colorful rug really makes it feel more in the vintage Spanish/Moroccan style of the house & it warms up the coolness of the black/whites. The handmade ceramic tiles are amazing..I am a huge ceramics fan & daydream of one day designing my own tiles & pottery or maybe I did it in a previous life. 😉 Anyway, the tiles go so well with the outlines of the flooring and the doorway architecture. On my computer the painted cabinets look like a dark charcoal (which doesn’t do anything for me), but you said “teal” and I love that color & that jewel tone does go much better with the whole Moroccan feel…, yay on the butcher block counters which again warms it up & balances out the b/w (thank goodness they didn’t put in freaky granite that would’ve been a major needle record screech). Well done, you & to the homeowner for excellent taste.

Do you know where you purchased the roman shade from? Also who/what/how do you recommend for butcher block counters? I live in Los Angeles area… if you have already done a post about butcher block counters, I would love the link! thx Emily

Emily, I just have to say that you really do have a gift. With a time crunch, your amazing talent just shines through. This isn’t even my style and yet I love it – to quote the wonderful Amy Poehler, “Good for you, not for me!” And I am so happy to celebrate you here! Thank you for sharing your gifts with us. Hugs and hugs.

This post makes me so sad. I just moved into a house with the exact same cabinetry (top and bottom) and that tumbled tile you speak of. There are aspects of the house I love, such as layout and size, but the faux tuscan look isn’t doing it for me and I’m struggling with how to update/freshen it without tearing out all the damned tile and cabinets. Painting and adding hardware to said cabinets is an option (although I might have a big fight w/ my husband on that issue). It doesn’t help that the previous owners loved them some faux paint finishes and any walls that don’t have one are painted beige. Anyway, at least this post gives me some ideas for improving the situation.

Amazing kitchen. I would never have thought to mix the dark grey cabinets with a black and white tile but obviously, it works perfectly and I’m not an interior designer. Also, you definitely convinced me to go for open shelving on top so, really, I’m completely influenced by your work, Guru Youxi988.

Love everything about this kitchen! I actually have an appliance question–it looks like a newer brand, NXR, which they sell at Costco. Wondering if the owner likes the stove? I’ve been researching and it seems like it could be a great way to get a professional style stove for less, but would love feedback if you have any.

Okay – I learned a new word. Someone already said “amazeball”. That’s IT!! You are amazeball. This house is my new dream house. The kitchen is remarkable. For me, the rug totally pulled it together and gave it life. Home run.

I am in the process of renovating my first home (!!!) in Los Angeles and am dreaming of bathroom floors with gorgeous patterned cement tile. Would love a list of your recommendations for must-visit places in the Valley! A friend of mine who owns a few restaurants gets a lot of hers downtown, but I am concerned I’ll have to pick through 4 million tiles to find enough good ones. Thanks!!

I’m also interested in the butcher block counters. Do they hold up well? Are they high maintenance? Are there problems with bacteria?

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Hello!

Emily is a stylist, author and T.V. host with a strong commitment to vintage inspired approachable home style for every single person. Perfection is boring; Let’s get weird. learn more

Interior Design Blog by Youxi988

I started this interior design blog in 2010 as a journal of my style and home projects with the belief that design should be approachable, informational and accessible no matter what budget.

As a home style expert who has a strong commitment to peeling back the intimidating layers of the world of home decor, and showing how every person can have a beautiful home that represents their personality, no matter what the budget.

After styling for magazines and catalogues for years, I started my own interior design blog, won HGTV Design Star, and have gone on to host my own hit TV show Secrets from a Stylist, Author the book STYLED, and create the design firm Youxi988 Design.

My motto has always been to write and publish on my blog what I personally want to read about.